Krav Maga Maryland

Krav Maga Maryland (Columbia location) set me on a new course for fitness. I initially responded to a Facebook ad to participate in their 6-Week Challenge to see what it was about, and 6 weeks later, I lost 12 pounds (I’m High School weight!) and lowered my body fat from 18% to almost 12%. Let me try that again: From 18% TO ALMOST 12%!!! (And I saw others (Wayne, Jay) have even better results). The plan they lay out is simple to follow (3 meals and 2 protein shakes every day) and 3 or more workouts per week. (I did 5-6.). Every week I watched my stats improve, except week #2 when I cheated on the meals at a wedding and a steakhouse - even though I tried to be reasonable, preparing your own food makes a difference in calorie count (I found out later the 6 oz steak alone had 1,000 calories - I think they inject them with butter…). I had previously done the “Whole 30” food plan and lost weight, but doing a portion-controlled plan plus the workouts, I now know the net effect of burning off a 1,000 net calories/day, and that’s powerful.

Back to the gym: it has 3 workout rooms, including the Krav class room, the heavy bag room, and the conditioning (Crossfit-style) room. Class times are typically 5-8 pm on weekdays, a couple lunchtime and (not on the schedule) 6 am offerings. Saturday mornings are very popular. Everyone should know how to respond to an aggressor with the apropos force if needed, and you get that here. But you also get the conditioning, and, encouragement from the staff, coaching if you ask, and no judgements of where you are. There were ALL body types participating, everyone gives it their all in classes. My only criticism is the lack of discernment in musical selections. There is a LOT of “motivating" music available without cursing. (Add some Skillet!)

There was no high-pressure schtick to join - that was left up to me to do no now or in the future. So, THANK YOU to KMMD, I appreciate the staff and the facility and the experience there!

I signed up for an intro class in Columbia, MD because I was interested in getting involved in martial arts again and I have a few friends involved in Krav Maga in different locations.



So I signed in for the intro class that I had signed up for and the receptionist told me to have a seat and that the class would be starting in a few minutes, pointing out the room that the class would be held in. I went to the restroom and came back, sat down patiently, and waited for the class to begin. She eventually came and started vacuuming the room she had pointed out, looking at me when she walked by but not saying anything. At this point, I'm wondering what is going on, but there was nobody in the room and the other room had a fitness class in it when she had showed me around. After a half hour of waiting, I finally went up to her and asked her what was going on and she told me that the class was being held in the other room, and that it had been announced. I basically just walked out of there- I am appalled at how this had played out. There were SEVEN people who APPEARED to be instructors (I know at least one of them was an instructor because he was teaching a class that I observed on Monday) standing around in the foyer while I was sitting there and she clearly saw me and walked by. Why did NOBODY say anything or at least introduce themselves? Beyond that, I get absolutely no apology about the mistake? I have no problem with the fact that the room had been switched, but she knew I was there for the intro lesson and it should have been pretty apparent to the instructors standing there... I was dressed in gym clothing, looked lost/like I was waiting and had never been there before, and was the only person there.



I helped out with reception/instructing at two martial arts gyms that I went to before I moved and an instructor would NEVER have ignored a new person. Actually, at both schools if an instructor saw someone waiting while a class was being run, he might just have a student take over for a minute while he at least introduced himself. And *I* was expected to IMMEDIATELY greet someone and help them out. I was very disappointed in this school's staff and I won't be going back.